(a) The Commissioner of Housing shall, within available appropriations, establish a pilot program to provide temporary housing for (1) persons experiencing homelessness, or (2) veterans who need respite care. Such program shall be implemented in not fewer than three municipalities, each with a population of not less than seventy-five thousand, and shall provide not fewer than twenty housing units for eligible persons who need respite care because they are recovering from injury or illness. The commissioner shall establish eligibility criteria for persons eligible to participate in the pilot program. The commissioner may contract with one or more nonprofit organizations to administer the program. Not later than January 1, 2025, the commissioner shall submit a report on the pilot program, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to housing. The pilot program shall terminate on January 1, 2025.